Wednesday, 28 December 2016

games compendiums at christmas

We had them as a kid in the Sixties and we still have them now in our own family.

Compendiums were basically a load of games in one box. Typically they contained chess, ludo, draughts, backgammon, nine mens morris, chinese checkers and more.

Our own old box is European and there are over 200 games in it including Yahtzi, dice, a pack of cards and Halma, besides the small toys from years of pulling Christmas crackers a collection which grows every year!

I also picked up a more or less mint compendium by Peter Pan Playthings from 1979. As its unused in its original oblong box its a thing of beauty with everything in its place including the pop-o-matic device from Frustration/ Headache [what's the difference?].

Its their Compendium number 2. I've no idea what was in the square boxed Compendium number 1 but I bet its as good,

One Christmas in Whitby we also found a vintage version of the Game of Life in a charity shop, which we took back to the rented cottage and promptly played. Not a compendium but a board game bristling with activities, a bot like Mouse Trap but little more serious.